


Shattered Glass

by misCOWculation



Series: Throne of Lies [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Family Drama, Fix-It, Forgiveness, Gen, Implied/Referenced Cheating, KinKuniKage friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Past, Rescue, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23924005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misCOWculation/pseuds/misCOWculation
Summary: Because Kageyama never forgot what Shiroma had done for him, and past wrongs needed to be righted. Sequel to Throne of Lies, a Kitaichi fix-it fic.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio & Kindaichi Yuutarou & Kunimi Akira, Kageyama Tobio & Oikawa Tooru, Kindaichi Yuutarou & Oikawa Tooru, Kunimi Akira & Oikawa Tooru
Series: Throne of Lies [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1724710
Comments: 12
Kudos: 95





	Shattered Glass

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Because Kageyama never forgot what Shiroma Yubin had done for him.

Graduation is more fun than Kageyama expects, and it's probably thanks to his friends. Kindaichi and Kunimi stand nearby him in the line of graduating students thanks to their last names—there's only one boy between him and Kindaichi.

When they're allowed to leave, the graduates and their parents all trickle out to the front courtyard to take photos and make memories. Kageyama stands awkwardly to the side as Kunimi glowers at his mother, who is plump and pinching his cheek in a very painful manner. His father is calmer, standing a bit behind with a gentle, patient smile on his face.

A group of girls carrying flowers and gifts and loudly talking about wanting to get some poor soul's second uniform button shimmy around Kindaichi's family of four. His father is the one taking the photo—Kindaichi and his little sister, Yuuki, are standing with their mother, a severe woman with black-rimmed glasses. Yuuki makes a face into the camera before the Kindaichi matriarch slaps her across the back of the head.

Kindaichi is tall and gangling—easily towering over his sister and mother. He slouches a bit, self-conscious, as his father takes photo after photo of the family.

Patient, Kageyama waits for them to finish while he eats an onigiri he brought in his bag. His family aren't here—his father is overseas on business while his mother is unable to get away from the office today. Disappointment wells at the pit of his stomach when he sees Kunimi slap away his mother's grabby hands with fond exasperation, and when he sees Kindaichi grin crookedly into the camera. He feels a little lonely, like when he'd still been the King of the Court.

Looking around, he can see that everybody is with their family or friends. They are taking photos, exchanging presents, and making last minute confessions to the people they like. Overbearing mothers are combing through their children's hair with their fingers, while older siblings are scrolling on their phones.

But then the crowd parts briefly, and Kageyama blinks at the sight of Shiroma Yubin standing under a cherry blossom tree by herself. Her arms are crossed and her eyebrows furrowed—one finger is tapping impatiently on her bicep. She's waiting for someone. She's alone, just like him.

A few passing boys and girls acknowledge her with smiles and nods, which she eventually stops returning after the first five people. Kageyama knows that Shiroma is very different from him—and not just because she's a _hafu_. They have entirely different social circles and personalities—Kindaichi thinks she's mean and ruthless, while Kunimi is mostly indifferent to her (or so Kageyama thinks).

Nobody comes for Shiroma. Kindaichi and Kunimi are inviting Kageyama to leave with their families for lunch now, and she's still there by herself. There's a niggling feeling in his brain—pity, maybe?—but he turns his back to her and walks away with his friends. Because she's just a stranger, and Kindaichi and Kunimi are his friends.

But, nevertheless, Kageyama does not forget.

* * *

In April, Kageyama arrives at Karasuno with high hopes. Kunimi and Kindaichi both go to Aobajosai, but Kageyama doesn't want to be there with them. He's investigated their team already, and he isn't sure if they're really his style. Also, Oikawa is there, too, and Kageyama is sure that there is no bigger turnoff than that.

His new team are certainly full of characters—he wishes Tsukishima would just buzz off, though. Hinata can be annoying, but Kageyama likes him well enough. He's an amateur, but he has potential.

They're just a bunch of guys who have just met, as their captain admits, but they have their first game against Aobajosai of all places sooner than Kageyama likes. Part of him is reluctant to face his friends, but the bigger, more rational part of him scolds him for such a thought. They may be his friends off the court, but they're his opponents all the same.

Hinata throws up on Tanaka on the way and hurries to the bathroom before the game starts while Kageyama rolls his eyes.

"Kageyama!" Kindaichi greets Kageyama enthusiastically, and Kageyama is unaware how his team ogles as the boy joins Karasuno for warm-ups. Introductions are passed around before Tanaka volunteers to drag Hinata from the bathroom. Kunimi is slower to join them and less excited, but just as happy to see Kageyama. His warming up is halfhearted.

But now that Karasuno has poached two of Aobajosai's first years to their side of the court, this naturally lures the enemy enemy into a sense of tentative curiosity. One of Bluecastle's players, a second year boy with brown hair and an air that reminds Kageyama of Oikawa (where is he, anyway?), approaches them hesitantly, offering a crooked smile when Kindaichi all but grabs him by the wrist and tugs him down toward the floor, where they're stretching. Kageyama is glad to see how well Kindaichi has assimilated within the ranks of Seijoh's team.

"Yahaba Shigeru," he introduces himself politely. "I'll be Seijoh's starting setter for today."

"Let's play a good match." Sugawara is probably Kageyama's favorite upperclassman, and for good reason. Even to a rival setter, he remains polite and friendly.

Daichi nods and adds some words of his own, more guarded than Suga, but amiable all the less.

Kageyama is vaguely aware of the rest of their rival team openly staring them now. Iwaizumi looks the most surprised, but the initial shock gradually eases out of all of them before the game begins. Thankfully, Tanaka manages to return in time with Hinata in tow, whose face is beginning to have color return to it once more.

They're on their third set and going strong when the person that Kageyama dreads seeing the most makes his appearance. Oikawa's entrance is accompanied by girlish squeals from his many fans, and Tanaka pulls distasteful faces at him before Daichi gets them to toe the line once more.

What they fail to notice, however, is someone quietly following him inside before the doors closed.

It's only when Kindaichi stiffens, eyes shifting to Kageyama's right, that he sees her.

Tsukishima grunts when he fails to receive Oikawa's power serve for the second time, and Hinata yells for the next serve to be aimed at him, but all that fades into the background when Kageyama sees the unexpected face that has Kindaichi reeling.

Shiroma is watching their game—not even from the balconies, but from the sides, standing behind where the coaches are situated. If they know she's there, they don't say anything.

Hinata (Kageyama, really) wins them the match with a spike, making Karasuno the overall winners. But Kageyama doesn't care about that right now. Not only would they have lost had Oikawa been playing from the start, but Shiroma's sudden arrival (she's wearing the _Shiratorizawa_ uniform; unabashed and blatant) has captured the majority of his attention.

She meets his eyes once before leaving, heading out the same way she came.

It seems Kindaichi and him are on the same wavelength—they exchange a glance and nod. After the teams exchange pleasantries, they both go off (Kunimi gives them a curious look; Kageyama is sure he'll follow, if at a slower pace) after her under the excuse of needing to use the toilet.

"Both of you? Together? What are you, girls?" Hinata snickers, covering his mouth with a hand. Kageyama grips the smug bastard by the head and threatens bodily harm before Kindaichi, amused, calls for him to hurry up.

Kindaichi is the one who takes the initiative of filling what otherwise would be silence. Kageyama isn't a great conversationalist, after all. "I think I'm jealous," Kindaichi says without malice. As they walk, their shoulders bump occasionally, easily. "That shrimp sure brings out a strange side of you."

"No he doesn't," Kageyama retorts before cocking an eyebrow. "And what do you mean strange side?"

"You can be surprisingly wild," Kindaichi laughs. "You were so serious back in middle school. It's just nice to see you loosen up a bit more."

They find Shiroma squatting against a wall, curled up next to the vending machines. Her eyes are troubled, and she's staring blankly ahead.

Kindaichi falters, starts to tell Kageyama that maybe this isn't the best idea he's ever had, but, in true Kageyama form, he ploughs straight on ahead like a tank.

"Shiroma-san."

"Uh," says Kindaichi when Shiroma looks up. "Maybe you shouldn't stand over her like that, Kageyama..."

So Kageyama steps back a bit.

Her face is more gaunt, more tired, than he remembers. There is a quiet steel about her as she addresses them coolly. "Kageyama-san. Kindaichi-san."

"Shiroma-san," Kindaichi blurts, unable to filter his words around her for some reason, "Why are you here? And in a Shiratorizawa uniform no less... I'm surprised they even let you in." His tone is sharp and accusing—Kageyama has been on the receiving end of that tone many times (though not recently); it isn't a nice thing. Kindaichi probably doesn't even realize how he sounds like—getting defensive over nothing is a very Kindaichi thing to do, in Kageyama's opinion.

Scowling, Shiroma stands to her full height—she barely reaches Kindaichi's shoulder—and flashes the visitor's pass around her neck. "Aobajosai is convenient. There's nothing more to it."

"Then why were you watching?" Kageyama inquires, genuinely curious.

"I—" She bites her tongue. "I don't need some sort of reason to watch a volleyball match, do I? Besides," Shiroma looks at the wall, purposefully avoiding their questioning gazes, "Maybe I just thought it would have been nice to see some familiar faces again. Oikawa-san is pretty, you know. I'm almost jealous."

It's hard not to hear the bitter turn her voice and general demeanour has taken. Kindaichi gives Kageyama an uncertain glance. Clearly, she's irritated by their presence, and it's best not to prod her further.

"Excuse me," Shiroma says abruptly before pushing between them and stalking off somewhere.

"Sheesh," Kindaichi says to a silent hallway when she's out of sight. "She's something else..."

"Maybe you shouldn't have grilled her so suddenly."

"Geh!" Kageyama and Kindaichi both turn to see Kunimi approaching them, hands tucked in his volleyball shorts and looking as languid as ever. His jacket, a size bigger than what he should be wearing, sags around his frame a little.

"Were you listening the whole time?" says Kageyama.

"Obviously." Cocking an eyebrow, he leans against the vending machine, fixing his sleepy stare onto his two friends. "If two weirdos like you showed up out of nowhere and barraged me with questions, I'd be mad, too. But," he adds pointedly when Kindaichi opens his mouth to protest, "I can see why you acted like that. She's someone to be wary around, especially with what happened to her."

Kageyama is clearly missing out on some important bit of information here, and one look at Kindaichi tells him that his turnip-head friend is out of the loop, too.

Kunimi notices as well, sighing. "You two really don't keep up with pop culture, do you?"

"I do!" Kindaichi proclaims as they walk back to the gym. "But don't expect me to know everything that happens in the world. Right, Kageyama?"

Kageyama just shrugs. Kunimi's assumption is correct regarding his ignorance of current affairs—he doesn't have time for that sort of thing, with how focused he is on volleyball.

"Why don't you enlighten us then?" Kindaichi says, prodding Kunimi's arm with one elbow. "Oh wise one."

"Her dad is sleeping with his costar." Kunimi pulls no punches—he is blunt and to the point, much like a hammer. A quiet, unassuming hammer, but a hammer nevertheless.

Kindaichi makes a choking noise while Kageyama blinks.

"We'll talk more about this later," promises Kindaichi when they enter the gym to see Karasuno about to depart. Their coaches are shaking hands for the last time and exchanging terse farewells. "Over text."

"Geez, you gossip like a hen," drawls Kunimi.

"He kind of looks like one, too," chimes Kageyama, as he assesses Kindaichi's hairstyle.

"You too, Kageyama?!"

They say goodbye, and things are going well until he sees Oikawa waiting for them at the front gates. It's as if some sort of animal instinct goes off inside him, and Kageyama grimaces but holds his ground as the team slows to a stop.

"That's the captain for you," Oikawa says loudly, a smirk crawling up his lips. "So you do get it." Naturally, Tanaka takes this opportunity to perhaps fight Oikawa, but the brunet just laughs and waves off the younger boy's attempts. "Oh, come on! You don't have to be so hostile. I just came to say hi." At this, Oikawa's sharp brown eyes land on Kageyama.

In true Oikawa fashion, Kageyama's former upperclassman compliments Hinata's jumping before sending a remark to Tsukishima and the shrimp about their serving, his criticism and jab thinly veiled by his condescending tone.

Then he gets to Kageyama. "See, I would just love the chance to play my cute, adorable and utterly despicable underclassman here in an official tournament game, setter to setter, so that I can crush him into oblivion in front of a giant audience." Oikawa smiles deviously, adding, "I'm sure my _new teammates_ would have no qualms in lending me a hand when we play against you."

 _New teammates?_ Kageyama sweats. _He means Kunimi and Kindaichi._ But in what way? Does Oikawa know about the true nature of their relationship? Is he aware that they're all friends? But Oikawa's face is unreadable, and Kageyama can only assume, reluctantly, that he doesn't.

On the bus ride back to school, Kageyama tunes out the voices around him, peering out the window to see orange skies and pink clouds blurring by. Nobody tries to talk to him, even Hinata, who is sitting next to Tanaka again. The others are excited about some guardian deity, and while Kageyama's interest is piqued, he has other things on his mind.

The faces of Oikawa and Shiroma taunt him.

* * *

**[Kindaichi]:** Well?

 **[Kunimi]:** Well what?

 **[Kindaichi]:** Shiroma-san, of course!

 **[Kunimi]:** oh right

 **[Kunimi]:** her dad's sleeping with a lady who definitely isn't her mom

 **[Kageyama]:** You told us that already.

 **[Kunimi]:** wow, you rarely decide to talk, and when you do, it's about this? Hens, the both of you

 **[Kindaichi]:** You are literally the biggest hen of us all, don't even try to pretend

 **[Kunimi]:** sorry I don't speak bok bok cockle doodle doo

 **[Kageyama]:** Doodle?

 **[Kindaichi]:** Can you just tell us already I'm about to

 **[Kindaichi]:** laundry

 **[Kindaichi]:** brb

* * *

**[Kindaichi]:** Finally!

 **[Kindaichi]:** You guys still there?

 **[Kunimi]:** I was about to hit the hay

 **[Kageyama]:** Kunimi, it's six o'clock in the evening.

 **[Kunimi]:** haven't u ever heard of evening naps?

 **[Kindaichi]:** Stop stalling and just tell us dammit

 **[Kunimi]:** someone's thirsty for gossip

 **[Kindaichi]:** Well If u hold it over our heads like that, ofc we're gonna be like that!

 **[Kunimi]:** I bet Kageyama couldn't care less tho

 **[Kageyama]:** I care.

 **[Kunimi]:** what u doing right now then?

 **[Kageyama]:** Setting.

 **[Kindaichi]:** You're outside?

 **[Kageyama]:** No. I'm lying down on my bed.

 **[Kunimi]:** my point is proven

 **[Kunimi]:** but anyway, Kageyama stop setting for a bit so I can tell you guys

 **[Kindaichi]:** goddamn finally

 **[Kunimi]:** So

 **[Kunimi]:** her dad cheated

 **[Kunimi]:** and his wife is still alive so

 **[Kunimi]:** yeah he's a scumbag and that's pretty much it obviously she's been affected by it

 **[Kindaichi]:** that's it?! Even I could have told you that!

 **[Kunimi]:** That's all the general public knows rlly

 **[Kunimi]:** if there's more idk

 **[Kageyama]:** Okay.

 **[Kindaichi]:** I can't believe you led us on all day

 **[Kunimi] :** that's what u get for being a hen lmaoo

 **[Kindaichi]:** SHUT UP

 **[Kageyama]:** Am I allowed to start setting again?

* * *

Kindaichi is in a bit of a pickle. It is not, by any means, a large pickle, but it is a pickle nonetheless.

Opposite him, Kunimi sips his caramel milkshake with half-lidded eyes, looking out the window occasionally. They have the best diner booth in Cafe Pezzo, in Kindaichi's opinion.

"Well?" Kunimi prompts as Kindaichi is still trying to sort out his troubles in his brain. "Spit it out, I can feel myself fossilizing." Upon Kindaichi not answering right away, he continues, "Let me save you the trouble of deciding, then. What do you want to talk about: Shiroma-san, Kageyama, or Oikawa-san?"

"What?!" Kindaichi splutters loudly, ducking his head abashedly when a little old lady sends him a dirty look from her table. In a quieter voice, he says, "How did you...?"

"You should never play poker—you'd lose all the time." Amused, Kunimi puts him out of his misery. "Those are the only things that it could be. Shiroma-san because of her surprise appearance the other day, Oikawa-san because we don't know the extent of how he treated Kageyama in the past, and Kageyama because you obviously didn't invite him here."

"How did you know I didn't?"

"His house is nearby, and he's almost always on time. It's been half an hour since we got here." Kunimi hums as he stirs his milkshake, seemingly detached from the world and the gentle buzz of the cafe. "Although... it's probably not about Shiroma-san, considering we already talked about her the other night... and it's not likely to be Oikawa-san either... Kageyama then?"

Kindaichi slumps. "Next time, just do all the talking for me, why don't you?"

"You're not getting out of this that easily. Now talk."

"Fine, fine. It's... it's about Kageyama."

"I figured as much."

"Look, are you gonna listen or not?"

Kunimi raises his hands in surrender. "That was the last time, I swear. I'm all ears."

"It's just kind of jarring, y'know? Seeing Kageyama get along so... _swimmingly_ with his new team."

Kunimi snorts, earning a dry look from Kindaichi. " _Swimmingly_. And so what if he does? Isn't that a good thing?"

"Well, yeah! But..."

"But?"

"I can't help but..." Kindaichi grimaced. "Feel like I did something wrong."

Judging from the look on Kunimi's face, Kindaichi can safely say that Kunimi probably expected this sort of response. He is self-aware enough to understand that he has his own problems and insecurities—for all his life, he's never been good enough for his mother; when Kageyama jumped aboard the _'put-Kindaichi-down-as-much-as-possible'_ train in middle school, it was easy to react so negatively—and knows that Kunimi has stuck through with him through thick and thin, long enough for him to understand, too.

Kunimi, for the most part, seems contemplative, his left hand tapping an imaginary tune on the table while his right stirs his milkshake. Kindaichi occupies the space between their words by staring blankly at the circular motions of his friend's straw.

"You're upset," Kunimi says slowly, as if confirming something. "Because Karasuno was able to bring Kageyama out of his shell when we couldn't, right?" There is a wry smile on his face that hides what he's truly thinking. He's got neutrality down, but Kindaichi will always be able to see past his inexpressive masks. "We still can't. Not completely, anyway."

"Yeah... It's... I don't know, man. It's just..."

"A huge reality check?"

Kindaichi blinks. "What?"

"With all the drama that happened in junior high," here, Kunimi sighs, "I'm surprised he even forgave us at all." Then, sullenly, he slurps his milkshake while Kindaichi searches desperately for a retort.

"Well, it wasn't just our fault. It was all of us, remember?"

"Yeah. But we were... the worse party."

 _No_ , Kindaichi corrects bitterly in his head, I _was. You don't have to say 'we' for me anymore. I know what I did_. Outwardly, he just says, "We never did talk about it, did we? Not properly. It was just forgiveness, and everything was just... fine. I didn't even think we needed to. I thought... that we were okay now."

Kunimi leans across the table to slap his shoulder. "We are, dumbass. But we can't just expect it to be the same way it used to be. Too many things happened for that to come back all on its own."

"Then what?" Kindaichi challenges. "What do we do?"

"Isn't it simple?" The tension eases out of Kunimi's frame as he sits back, drinking the remainder of his beverage. "We'll keep being his friends." His eyes grow a little sad and Kindaichi feels like he's just had all the wind knocked out of him. "That's all we ever needed to do."

For a long while, things lull between them. Kunimi, with his sweet tooth, orders another milkshake, while Kindaichi asks for some wedges to share. It comes with mayonnaise and tomato sauce. They make small talk, but the topic of middle school still hangs over their heads.

Finally, Kunimi says, "What about Oikawa-san?"

Kindaichi raises an eyebrow. "Oikawa-san? What about him?" _I know he and Kageyama didn't get along in middle school, but it wasn't that bad, was it? When we asked him about it before, Oikawa-san made it seem like it didn't matter anymore_.

"You know Kageyama. He's not the type to reveal a lot about his life unless you ask him directly. What if something we don't know about happened between them?" Adamant that he's onto something, Kunimi continues, "Not to mention Shiroma-san. She pulled the strings from the shadows while all the negative press was on Kageyama during our third year."

"What are you saying? That we should investigate the people who were involved in his King phase?"

"Not exactly." Kunimi steeples his fingers as he drains the rest of his second milkshake down to the last drops. It's a strange sight. "I was thinking more on the lines of reconciliation. Making amends, of sorts."

"Wow..." Kindaichi smirks. "When were you so proactive? I thought you were all about leaving the past behind."

Kunimi shakes his head. "I don't like dwelling on past mistakes. All it does is hinder growth. But that's not the same as acknowledging them. Sweeping mistakes under the rug... is probably worse. I'm not asking them to be friends. But this has gone on for too long.

"To be honest, I don't care about Oikawa-san or Shiroma-san that much. Or even the old guys from our team. But I care about Kageyama, and Kageyama cares about them. Or Oikawa-san at the very least."

"And Shiroma-san?" asks Kindaichi. "Where does she really fit in all of this?"

At first, Kunimi frowns, seemingly at a loss. But then, carefully, he answers, "Wherever Kageyama decides she does."

* * *

Shiratorizawa Academy is stifling. It's not like Kitaichi, where she could breathe easy with her head above the common crowd until those couple of days before graduation, when her father's scandal was broadcasted to the world. No, in Shiratorizawa, Shiroma Yubin isn't special. At best, she is another face in the crowd. Anything once considered extraordinary in middle school is now too commonplace to be evenly remotely impressive.

People mostly get admitted in four ways: They are offered a scholarship (sports or academic), they take and pass the very difficult entrance exam (automatically putting them in the top percentage of high school academics in the prefecture), posses some sort of desirable or unique talent (there is at least one idol-in-training in her grade alone) that is great enough for the school to invest in them, or they get in because their parents made hefty donations to the school.

In short the people here are at least one of three things—academically or athletically gifted, blessed with innate talents, or _rich_.

Shiroma is, to say it plainly, rich. It's the only thing she has going for her now that her father's reputation is down the drain (or on fire, depending on perspective) and from day one, school has been lackluster because of it.

Maybe she's pretty, and maybe she's not bad at karaoke. But none of those things matter when she is—at the end of the day—the daughter of a cheating bastard, and a girl who didn't even get into the institute on her own merit. A big fish in a small pond released into a vast ocean with even bigger fish.

None of her friends from junior high talk to her anymore except Yoneda. And even then, their texts are mostly short and curt and lacking any real substance.

She hasn't seen any of them since graduation.

As soon as the school lets her leave from a Saturday afternoon detention (which she acquired from not doing her English homework for the third week in a row), she marches out main building and hurries to the front gate with her phone to her ear. "Yes... No! What the hell are you talking about?" she hisses angrily to the person on the other end. "So what? I can't even go to Aobajosai to hide anymore? That stubborn fucking bitch. I—"

It's the middle of June, but a cold breeze passes through anyway, just as Ushijima Wakatoshi, some volleyball-obsessed freak, passes through the gates, back from a jog. He barely looks at her as she continues deeper into the campus, and she returns the favor by pointedly ignoring him.

Shiroma's hand tightens around her phone as she switches to Korean. "It's bad enough she's trying to make a move on my father. Coming to Japan just to find me is crossing the damn line!"

She has more to say to her father's assistant on the line when, suddenly, something hard collides right into her, and her phone flies out of her hand and skids across the floor. Winded, she wheezes, alarmed by the heavy mass currently crushing her torso.

"Gaaahh! Bakageyama, look what you've done! You knocked down a girl!" Her entire body is aching, but the pain ebbs away as whoever ran into her rolls off and stands. A hand is outstretched in her face—an offer of assistance.

"Sorry. Are you okay?"

The petty part of her longs to slap it away, but she's still feeling a little lightheaded from the impact. She takes his hand—he's strong, and she can practically feel the muscles in his fingers flexing all the way to the muscles in his biceps. "Yeah. Thanks for— _Kageyama-san?_ "

Her only comfort is that he looks just as surprised as she probably does.

The orange-haired boy he's with peers up at the both of them. "Ehh?! You two know each other?"

"Clearly," says Shiroma.

At the same time, Kageyama reprimands him with a short but simple response: "Hinata dumbass!"

The last time Shiroma saw Kageyama was back in April, when she had snuck in to Aobajosai to escape _her_. It was just coincidence that Kageyama had been there, too, as a Karasuno representative.

"What?" she snaps, irritably, when things drag a little awkwardly. "Are you just gonna keep standing there? Close your mouths, at least."

"Ah," Hinata is the first to speak, pointing at something on the concrete nearby, "Your phone..." Hastily, he runs over to it, picks it up, and runs back. He's a fast little thing, that's for sure. "Here."

She takes it from him. It's just scratched. "Don't worry," she tells them, sensing their thoughts. "I'm not mad, and you don't have to pay for any damage."

Hinata lets out a sigh of relief before realizing something. "Wait! Why am I the one panicking? Bakageyama, you were the one who ran into her!"

Kageyama just shrugs.

"So." Shiroma shifts her weight from her right foot to her left. "What brings you around these parts?"

"Oh!" Hinata volunteers to answer. It's almost cute, actually. "We were following Ushiwaka Japan! Did you see him?"

"Huh? Ushijima? Yeah, he came past not long ago."

"Ooh! Which way?"

"Shut up for a second, dumbass." Kageyama, grumbling, pokes Hinata hard on the head, making him wince. He meets her gaze. "Shiroma-san. How are you?"

_What?_

Both Hinata and Shiroma deadpan at him, taken aback by his straightforward, sudden politeness.

"What brought this on?" Shiroma asks. "It's not like we're friends or anything." _What_ , she wants to say, _Did you think we were because you were a reclusive dumbass in junior high and I wasn't? It was pity. And then jealousy_.

"I heard about your dad."

Shiroma freezes, feeling as if he had just jumped a bucket of ice water over her. Kageyama has always lacked tact, but she won't excuse him. Narrowing her eyes, she crosses her arms. "So what? You came to pity me? Laugh? Gloat? Why? I didn't realize _kings_ cared about their peasants so much!"

Kageyama visibly flinches, and Hinata looks like he's going to start yelling, but Shiroma stands her ground, even when regret pangs her heart. At first, she's expecting some sort of retort, but Kageyama just says, "I didn't think that you of all people would call me that. Especially now."

Her fury and bitterness dies down for a second. "What are you on about?"

"It was you who helped me," Kageyama says plainly. "Even if I didn't realize it back then. You were the first person to see me as something other than a king."

A different sort of emotion washes over her, overwhelming, and her throat bobs.

"Yeah, well," she grounds out, "I—"

"Everything I have now," he interrupts, "is thanks to you." He's talking about those other two boys—Kindaichi and Kunimi. They're kind of hard to forget. Kindaichi had even been her bullying victim in elementary.

"Don't be ridiculous. It wasn't all me. It was you guys, too." Shiroma doesn't know when exactly the conversation took this strange turn, but she isn't against it.

"What about you then? Where are all your friends?"

"They're not here, dumbass. I'm only here because I had a weekend detention."

"But," Hinata pipes up, "Shouldn't they wait for you?"

There's a beat.

"No," Shiroma answers in the end, unable to find the energy to even be angry at the question. Instead, there is a crushing weight in her chest as she realizes her own loneliness.

"Then are they really your friends?"

"That's right, little dude. They're not." Shiroma turns to Kageyama. "Is that what you wanted to hear? You already know about my father. No one wants to be friends with the product of someone who causes such misery to his wife."

She leaves then, and neither Kageyama or Hinata stop her.

* * *

Oikawa Tooru.

Aobajosai's prince, Iwaizumi's best friend, and Kunimi's upperclassman.

Currently, he is leading the team through a series of leg and hip exercises on the cool wooden floor to unwind and release all the tension they've been carrying since their defeat at the hands of Shiratorizawa in the Interhigh.

Kindaichi's movements are hilariously stiff, the boy having been inflexible since childhood, but Kunimi's thoughts, today, are more occupied by Oikawa than Kindaichi.

For the past month or so, they've been subtly probing their captain for answers about what happened in middle school. But Oikawa is too careful—he reveals nothing of importance to them, and acts like nothing really did happen. It makes Kunimi doubt himself, but he has such certainty that Oikawa was a large factor that contributed to Kageyama's downfall.

"Ah~!" Oikawa yawns as they finish, sitting up with a smile on his face. "Good job today, everyone!"

"I felt so... flowery," Matsukawa gags.

"Is anyone treating ramen tonight?" Hanamaki asks around. "Because I forgot the keys to my house and my dad works late on Friday."

"I volunteer Iwa-chan!" Oikawa immediately opines, Iwaizumi swatting at him like one would an innocent fly.

"I could go for some ramen," Kindaichi chimes, a little shyly. He gets some support from Yahaba and Yuda, a reserve third year player (before the latter bails, remembering an assignment due soon that he has yet to do).

In the end, Oikawa and Iwaizumi compromise and agree to generously pay for the meals. Fortunately for their wallets, most of them have to go home for dinner, and only Hanamaki, Yahaba, Kunimi, and Kindaichi volunteer to go.

They're on their way to the ramen shop nearest to their school when Kindaichi gets a text and grimaces. "I can't go," he says regretfully as they stop at a red pedestrian light. "My mom wants me back."

"What for?" Iwaizumi asks.

"My grades. I got an eighty on the last math quiz. She organized a tutor for me last minute."

Kunimi feels irritation spike at him. It's not Kindaichi's fault in any way, but Kunimi has never really been fond of his friend's mother. She is strict, stern, and needle-like; almost never open for discussion or compromise. It's a miracle in itself that she even allows him to play volleyball, though Kunimi supposes she likes the idea of Kindaichi being sporty as well as smart.

The team offers Kindaichi their sympathies. This isn't the first they've heard of his overbearing mother getting in the way of things. Sadly, Kindaichi parts with them as soon as they reach the other side of the crossing, and they call goodbye after him.

"Poor Kin-chan," sighs Oikawa as they continue on their way. He looks to Iwaizumi, who narrows his eyes as if ready for a verbal attack. "If Iwa-chan got an eighty in math, his parents would probably faint before treating him to a celebratory dinner—gyak!" Iwaizumi jabs Oikawa in the side. "Okay, Okay, I'm sorry!"

"Ah, Yahaba-san," Kunimi says abruptly, sidling next to his upperclassman. Yahaba looks perplexed at being addressed so suddenly, but Kunimi is unconcerned. From his peripheral, he can see that Oikawa hasn't turned around, but he knows he's listening. "I never asked. What middle school did you go to?"

"Huh? I went to Akiyama Junior High. Why?"

Kunimi shrugs. "No reason. I just wanted to know. My middle school years were pretty horrible, but you turned out decent." He snorts. "Next time, I'll know where to send my future kids." Kunimi is a liar. He does not want kids. He doesn't even want a girlfriend or a wife. Maybe he's just too young and immature, but the idea has simply never appealed to him.

Yahaba seems a little more interested now. After all, Kunimi doesn't open up a lot about his past, so, naturally, there is some mystery to him. All Yahaba knows is that he went to the same middle school as Oikawa and Iwaizumi. "You weren't bullied, were you?" Kunimi can imagine why he came to that conclusion. It's hard not to—it would explain lots of things about his general demeanor.

"No, I wasn't. Others had it worse."

In the backdrop, Oikawa and Iwaizumi's conversation has died down. They're listening, no doubt. Hanamaki, however, seems more engrossed in daydreaming about ramen toppings as they approach the store.

Yahaba nods understandingly. "My school wasn't all rainbows and sunshine either. It's good that everybody sort of mellows out in high school. Middle schoolers can have pretty strong mean streaks."

Kunimi pegs it on the emotional turmoil they all go through as they venture into the throes of puberty. Insecurities and new emotions surface, people start doubting, and communication falls apart.

"Yes," Kunimi says slowly, staring at Oikawa's back. "I know what you mean."

In the ramen shop, the boys order their usual. Kunimi isn't too hungry tonight, so he orders a regular bowl while the others order a large ("So there's absolutely _no_ chance of you giving me an extra large portion?" Hanamaki asks the waiter in dismay).

The tables aren't big enough to fit all five of them. Hanamaki and Yahaba get a table for themselves while Iwaizumi, Oikawa, and Kunimi occupy the ramen bar.

"Ahhh, it all looks so nice!" Oikawa is flipping through the menu with his usual flair for the dramatic amped up a little more than usual. Kunimi knows he's going to get the same thing that he always does, though. A classic tonkotsu soup base with charshu. He's not particularly adventurous in his food choices; they leave that up to Hanamaki, who always up for trying new things. "Iwa-chan, we're splitting it even, right?"

"Yeah," affirms Iwaizumi. "Just don't get more than you can eat." He says it loudly enough for their two teammates at the back table to hear. Hanamaki grins sheepishly while Yahaba smirks.

"Sheesh, way to be subtle," Hanamaki retorts.

"I'm not trying to be subtle, I'm trying to save my wallet."

Iwaizumi gets up then to go to the bathroom, leaving Oikawa and Kunimi by themselves.

"Ne, Kunimicchi," Oikawa says lightly, poring over the drinks menu. He'll decide on either a soda or just water, Kunimi knows. It's always one of the two. "You know, if you want to make some sort of statement, you can just say it to my face." His voice is warm and open, but Kunimi detects an underlying tone of wariness. He smiles wryly. "You're not as subtle as you think."

"I'm not trying to be subtle," Kunimi echoes Iwaizumi's words. Oikawa finally looks up and at him. "Honestly, most of that was just grating on your nerves. With all due respect, Oikawa-san," he tacks on blandly.

"Ah, geez. What happened to you? You were such a cute little kohai back in middle school." Oikawa's smile grows a little strained. "That _is_ what this is about, isn't it? Middle school? I think you need to learn to let go of things, Kunimicchi. Why bother dwelling on those memories? If you had a hard time then, then it's best to—"

"It wasn't me that had a hard time," Kunimi cuts in. "It was Kageyama. You know that, don't you, Oikawa-san?"

"... Yes. I do. But I don't see what this has to do with anything now."

"Oikawa-san, I'll be blunt." From his peripheral, Kunimi can see Iwaizumi returning. "What happened between you and Kageyama?"

"Why are you so concerned?"

"Because it's the only thing he won't talk to us about."

Oikawa blinks rapidly, like he's been struck. Iwaizumi gives him a strange look as he slides next to him. "Kunimi-san," he starts, dropping the nickname. "I..."

"Is this about Kageyama?" Iwaizumi's voice hammers down between them. At their surprised looks, he rolls his eyes. "I'm not that dense. With all the questions and conversations about Kitaichi... It was pretty obvious what it was about." Oikawa squawks when Iwaizumi slaps him hard on the back. "It was his bad. No matter which way you look at it, it was his weakness at fault."

"Gah! Iwa-chan! I was about to get to that."

"No, what you _were_ about do was try to make yourself look like you weren't a total asshole back then and absolve yourself from your responsibility."

"Responsibility?"

"I'm talking about Kageyama, dumbass!"

"I never owed Tobio-chan _anything_!" Oikawa denies ruthlessly, and Kunimi scowls.

"I pity him then," Kunimi spits out suddenly, gaining the attention of his upperclassman. "You're a great player, Oikawa-san. One of the greatest I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. It's a damn shame that Kageyama couldn't experience it for himself back then, because his upperclassmen deliberately set him up to fail."

Iwaizumi's lips press into a grim line, no doubt noticing the plural, and things lapse into a tense silence.

Then Oikawa sighs, the sound more genuine and forlorn than Kunimi has ever heard. "You know, you're truly awful, Kunimi-san. You really know where to hit where it hurts, huh? Sliding in those compliments like that while giving me the proverbial middle finger." When Kunimi opens his mouth again, Oikawa cuts in, "I'm not trying to make excuses. I know what I did because of," he smiles a little, "my petty pride. But that petty pride has done more for me than Tobio-chan ever has. I'm sorry I can't meet up to your expectations of my character, though I certainly won't stop trying. You're my teammate."

"So you're not sorry at all?"

"Sorry? I can't say I am. Not completely."

Kunimi presses, "Because of your pride?"

"If you want."

"I see." Kunimi turns away. "You know, Kageyama was your teammate, too."

"Yes," Oikawa says, deceptively patient. "I know."

Iwaizumi closes the menu then. There's a quote on the back of the booklet written in rustic script, perhaps something generated from the internet that the owner decided looked good.

_Pride is not the opposite of shame, but it's source._

* * *

"Wow," Shiroma deadpans as she slows to a halt at the school gates. Around her, students stream past. Kageyama is standing awkwardly before her. "We meet again. Off chasing Ushijima?"

"Er, no," he replies. "I came here for you."

"... What in the nine divines? _Why_?"

Shiroma is not in a good mood. A lizard had crawled into the air conditioning system at her house and died—leading to the whole place stinking up whenever the air-con was switched on. It is the middle of summer, a sweltering July, and all fans do is swish hot air around as far is she is concerned.

"Look," Shiroma sighs in frustration when he doesn't budge. "You were my pity case. Not my friend. Barely even acquaintances. What part of that don't you understand?"

"All your friends abandoned you," Kageyama points out, and _ouch, does that really sting_. "So I might as well be yours now."

"Oh? Does that mean you'll abandon me, too, then? Step aside, Kageyama-san."

"I won't. You didn't abandon me, so I won't."

Her eye twitches. "What part of _pity case_ do you not understand, huh?!" she snaps, lowering her voice into an exasperated hiss when people look their way. "Get it through your thick skull. I didn't help you out of the kindness of my heart."

"Then why?" Kageyama demands in return. "Why help me at all?"

"So I could prove to the world—to _myself_ —that people are capable of change, and that middle school isn't forever!"

For a heartbeat, everything just stops. Kageyama is at a loss for words, and Shiroma is baring her teeth at him, her normally impeccable hair falling a little over her face. Huffing, she brushes the strands back with one finger, readjusting her silver headband.

"Kageyama-san," Shiroma says finally. "I don't think you should be my friend. Stick with Kunimi-san and Kindaichi-san. And that short guy, Hinata-san. Those are your real friends." She makes to leave, but Kageyama calls after her.

"Wait."

"What?" She tries to sound casual. "People are looking, you know."

"I'm not one to preach about friendship. Especially since I learned only recently what it really is." Kageyama frowns, looking somewhere between mildly frustrated and contemplative. "But you were kind to me in the past, even if you didn't mean to be. Let me return the favor to you."

She stares at him, sizing him up. Then she sighs. "Give me your number."

"Huh?"

"Your number, Kageyama-san. Let's hang out this Saturday. You, me, Kindaichi-san, and Kunimi-san." _I might as well see how you're all doing at this rate._ "You don't have weekend practice, do you?"

"I do, but it's not mandatory to attend." From the strained look on his face as he says these words, Shiroma thinks that it might as well be mandatory for him. It's still sweet, though, and she can appreciate it.

She nods. "I'll text you the details, and you can tell your friends."

Once phone numbers are exchanged, she starts walking home, only for Kageyama to follow her. "We live in the same direction," is all he says when she asks him about it.

Shiroma sighs, "Of course. Do you want a snack or something? There's a cafe nearby that sells sweets. They have meat buns, too, if you don't like sweet stuff."

Kageyama shakes his head. "I'm good."

"Well, I'm hungry. Wait for me."

As Shiroma shops in Cafe Pezzo, Kageyama stands outside, watching her purchase some bubble tea and donuts. He's a little confused that she wants him to stick around, but then he remembers the way that her friends abandoned her and decides not to question it. Kageyama has never been abandoned so completely by his friends before—he can't even begin to imagine what it must be like. The loneliness of his middle school years hits him suddenly, and he feels an ache in his chest—ancient and forlorn.

Shiroma is swiping her card in the store when Kageyama hears a familiar voice. "Oho? And what's Tobio-chan doing here all by himself?"

Tensing, Kageyama turns and greets the speaker warily. "Oikawa-san."

Oikawa looks friendly at first glance. Friendly and open. It seems to be his default demeanor, and it's difficult to find fault in it for the average person. But Kageyama has seen the ugly side of his upperclassman far too many times to be none the wiser.

"I thought you looked familiar," Oikawa says cheerfully, laughing. He looks around. "Are Kunimicchi and Kin-chan not with you?"

"No." Kageyama knows from his friends that Aobajosai doesn't have volleyball practice on Monday. It seems like a waste, but Kunimi tells him that there's a difference between slacking off and resting. "Kindaichi has cram school and it's Kunimi's turn to cook dinner tonight, so he's at home."

Kindaichi and Kunimi have vastly different lifestyles. All three of them do, actually. Now that Kageyama thinks about it, the only thing they really have in common in terms of routine and interests is volleyball. Kageyama's life basically revolves around the sport, Kunimi's life mostly consists of trying to escape from his mother's coddling and enjoying quiet moments, and Kindaichi studies more than any of them thanks to his mother's forceful personality and her constant comparisons to his younger, smarter sister.

Oikawa clicks his tongue. "What about you then? You're really all by yourself?"

"... Why are you so concerned?"

"Geez, Tobio-chan, it's called making small talk. Not that you would know the difference, but don't mistake my politeness for concern, you weirdo."

Kageyama glowers at him, eyebrow twitching. "Oikawa-san... how is your team?"

"Eh?" His question catches Oikawa off guard. "Geh? They're fine. Why?"

"I'm making small talk, Oikawa-san."

"I can see that!" Oikawa scoffs. "But when did you learn to hold— _or at least try to hold_ —conversations like a normal person? Did Kin-chan and Kunimicchi teach you?" Kageyama opens his mouth to retort, but Oikawa is on a roll. "While I'm happy that you have friends, they're starting to become a real thorn in my side. Every practice is them grating on my nerves as much as possible without interfering with our plays—and believe me when I say they're _good_."

 _What? Kunimi and Kindaichi... are disrupting practices?_ Kageyama splutters. "Wait, hold on—they're doing what?"

It's unheard of to him. Always, it has been praise coming their way, and derision toward him.

_"Good job, Kunimicchi, Kin-chan. Oh, hello, Tobio-chan, I didn't see you standing there."_

_But you did. You did see me standing there._

Presently, Oikawa is giving him a _look_. "You heard me. Whatever respect they have for me is slowly going down the drain."

"And this is my fault?"

"Yes!" Kageyama can tell from the pained look on his face that even Oikawa is finding his ridiculous; he's probably just venting his frustrations on Kageyama, which isn't anything unusual. Iwaizumi must be unavailable for some reason.

"Bullshit."

Both of them turn to see Shiroma standing with a bag of donuts in one hand a bubble tea in the other. Her face is mostly expressionless, but it looks like she's trying not to smirk.

Oikawa recovers first, making a face at the sight of her Shiratorizawa uniform. "Ex _cuse_ me? _Who_ are you?"

"I'm Shiroma Yubin. You were my upperclassman back in Kitaichi," Shiroma responds easily. "No need for walls and formalities, though. We all know why Kunimi-san and Kindaichi-san probably no longer want to associate with you outside of volleyball."

 _'We all know'. She means him, too._ Kageyama peers at Oikawa, who is looking a cross between pissed and... guilty? Kageyama can't really pinpoint it, but having his behavior called out by an utter stranger (from Ushijima's school no less) must be an eye-opener.

Shiroma slurps her tea loudly, unfazed. It's how she works—she delivers no judgement in her tone. It's the hard reality of the facts she states that really hit home. Kageyama has been on the receiving end of her sharp tongue before—it's not a nice feeling.

Eventually, Oikawa sighs affectedly. "I've lingered for too long. I have to pick up my nephew anyway. I'll see you around, Tobio-chan." Curtly, he adds, "You too... Shiroma-san."

"Hopefully not too soon," she snipes as he leaves. If he hears, there is no indication. "Geez." Shiroma glances up at Kageyama. "What an unpleasant guy. He's pretty, but his personality is like rotten sewerage."

"... He's pretty bad," Kageyama agrees mildly. "But you should see the way he interacts with his teammates. It's hard to connect that Oikawa to the one we saw just now." He shakes his head. "If he doesn't like something, then he'll probably hate it for life and blame all of his misfortune on it, though. He's a pain in the ass that way."

Shiroma laughs. "Sure seems like it. I guess you're one of those _somethings_ , hm?"

"Yeah."

She can't exactly tell if it bothers him or not. His face is pretty inexpressive, but she knows that there is at least some inner conflict happening here. "What did you do to that guy?"

Kageyama shrugs listlessly. "He calls me a genius. That's why, I bet."

"Isn't that a compliment?"

"Not to him."

"I see." Shiroma glances around, checking for a familiar car. "I'm gonna get going now. I'll see you on Saturday, Kageyama-san."

"See you," Kageyama calls after her halfheartedly.

On the way home, Shiroma turns back frequently, always watching for a sleek black car. The driver is a bald man with ear piercings; he's intimidating, but kind—it's the passenger that he carries around that she wants to avoid. She does this until she reaches her house, hastily opening her door and toeing off her shoes. She doesn't relax until she's in her room and changed into comfortable clothes.

She breathes out. _What a weirdo. He knows what my dad did, and he still wants to be friends with me?_ Her hand curls around her blanket.

Tomorrow, she will visit her mother.

* * *

The days are longer as summer stretches on. It's a humid evening, but the skies are still soda pink and streaked with blueberry. The traffic is languid and lazy, a sleepy truck driver looking forward to reuniting with his family yawning as he crosses a bridge. As his vehicle hums by, Iwaizumi is contemplating the last physics question he didn't get in today's mock exam, Oikawa walking closely beside him. He is strangely silent today, and it's... bothersome.

 _What's wrong with him?_ Iwaizumi thinks, his lips pressing into a grimace. _He's been moody ever since..._ His mind wanders to the recent developments in Kindaichi and Kunimi's behavior. Iwaizumi has already pulled them aside and talked to them about it when Oikawa's talking to didn't end up being so effective. Their attitudes have been curbed—mostly. They still send looks Oikawa's way. Not mean ones by any stretch, but... disappointed ones. And in a way, that's even worse than before. Their quiet disappointment in their captain, someone who they had respected and looked up to at the beginning of the year.

"Hey, Iwa-chan," Oikawa says, and Iwaizumi almost doesn't hear him over the car that rushes by.

"Stupid drunken hooligan!" Iwaizumi shouts after the car before turning to his friend. "Yeah?"

They cross the bridge safely.

"Am I really that awful?" asks Oikawa, his expression pensive.

"Yeah, you're a pretty shitty guy."

"Iwa-chan!"

"What? You asked for it."

Oikawa sighs. " _Fine_."

"They still respect you, you know," Iwaizumi cajoles him, "As a player and a captain at least. It's not like they're slapping your hand away whenever you try to high-five them."

For a bit, Oikawa is quiet. Cicadas buzz from the overarching trees; they always take a detour through their neighborhood park, where they grew up playing and practicing volleyball together. Sometimes, Iwaizumi will stare at the clearing for a while, and imagine their younger selves learning to hit and spike, falling over like baby deer occasionally.

A smile quirks his lips up. _When did we get so old?_ He knows he's still young, but time has passed him by too quickly for the nostalgia not to linger.

"Are you saying I'm not a respectable person then?" Oikawa says abruptly, startling Iwaizumi out of his wistful reverie. He doesn't sound like he's joking for once—he's dead serious. Before Iwaizumi can even think of how to respond to that, Oikawa adds, "I can be respected as a player and a captain, okay. Sure. But does that mean I can't be as myself?"

"Of course not," Iwaizumi says immediately. "That wasn't what I meant. If you were really that bad, I wouldn't have stuck around for so long."

Oikawa chuckles. "Why do I sense a _but_?"

"Because there is." Iwaizumi's tone is solemn, and Oikawa sobers up. "And you know what I mean. I don't need to tell you."

"Mm. I know what I did wrong."

"And?"

"And what, Iwa-chan?"

"Was Kunimi right?" Iwaizumi fixes his stare on him as they slow to a stop, his face remaining wholly neutral. "You're not sorry at all?"

Some sort of bird flies out of a tree and into the night as Oikawa turns to face him. There is a sort of muted regret to his features in the way his brow furrows slightly and the corner of his mouth turns downward. "I," his voice wavers, and he clears his throat to rid of it, "I want to say I'm not, but lately things have me thinking otherwise."

"Don't just think about Kunimi and Kindaichi," says Iwaizumi. "But about what happened back in middle school with Kageyama."

There's a beat, and Iwaizumi wonders that if he stares into Oikawa's eyes for long enough, he'll see tainted memories of long ago flicking through his pupils like a silent movie.

Suddenly, Oikawa bursts out laughing, clutching his sides. Eye twitching, Iwaizumi glowers at him. "Ah..." There's a smile tinged with regret when he's done. "I really was a jerk, wasn't I?"

"A delusional jerk," Iwaizumi corrects, and this gets a tired chuckle out of Oikawa. He remembers the way Oikawa had been back then—so thirsty for rapid evolution that it came across as feral to him, utterly convinced that he was being hunted by an underclassman that happened to possess more innate talent than he did.

"This doesn't mean I'm gonna stop though," Oikawa declares. "When we play, I'm still gonna freakin' destroy Tobio-chan and revel in his misery."

Iwaizumi snorts. "I guess I can allow you that." He claps Oikawa on the back. "But that doesn't mean you're getting out of actually meeting up with him to apologize for being a dick."

"Geh! I was hoping you would forget..."

"Nope." Iwaizumi folds his arms. "You're doing it or I'll kick your ass."

Oikawa knows he'll follow through, and he groans and buries his face in his hands. "But it'll be so embarrassing!" His whines are muffled. When he looks up at Iwaizumi tearfully, the latter boy rolls his eyes. "You really have no sympathy for me at all, do you, Iwa-chan?"

"When it comes to this, not really. Kageyama was my underclassman, too, and I think the only other person I'm as mad at is myself."

"Yeah—wait, what?"

"I should have stepped in sooner. Protected him from your slimy hands."

"Hey! My hands are not _slimy_."

They start their walk home again, exiting the park. It's well and truly dark now—they can see the stars from the street.

"I think you did good, though," Oikawa hums. "Protecting him from my slimy hands that is. Remember when I tried to smack him?"

"How could I forget? I wanted to sock you one for that, see how _you_ liked it."

"Iwa-chan, you _did_. Remember?"

"Never said I didn't follow through with it."

Oikawa smiles. "No, I guess you didn't."

Iwaizumi's house comes into view first. Just two houses away is Oikawa's own house. They halt in front of Iwaizumi's gate. "Hey," Iwaizumi reminds him once more before he leaves, "Don't forget to apologize."

"What are you, my mom?"

The door opens just in time for Iwaizumi's mother to see her son launching a flying kick at Oikawa, who is screeching a barely coherent apology. Amused, she calls, "Hajime! I'll heat up dinner for you. I made agedashi tofu. Tooru! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Iwaizumi-san!" Oikawa grins at her and waves.

"Well, alright. Can you tell your mother that I need her punch bowl for one more weekend before I can return it, please?"

"Of course!"

"Suck-up," Iwaizumi insults him blatantly, making him squawk indignantly.

But when they part, they're both smiling.

* * *

**[Kageyama]:** Let's meet at Cafe Pezzo on Saturday.

 **[Kunimi]:** wut why lol

 **[Kunimi]:** wait, since when do YOU make plans?

 **[Kunimi]:** normally you just give one word answers when me and Kindaichi plan stuff

 **[Kageyama]:** Remember what asked about those months ago? About what Oikawa-san did to me in junior high?

 **[Kunimi]:** duqifq

 **[Kunimi]:** go on

 **[Kageyama]:** He texted me out of the blue. He wants to meet with me at Cafe Pezzo on Saturday.

 **[Kageyama]:** Please come. Shiroma-san will be there, too.

 **[Kunimi]:** what

 **[Kunimi]:** dude this is literally the biggest crossover event of my life

 **[Kunimi]:** of course i'm going

 **[Kageyama]:** Where's Kindaichi?

 **[Kunimi]:** his mom assigns him extra homework

 **[Kageyama]:** Why? He does well in school.

 **[Kunimi]:** you've met his mom before

[ **Kunimi]:** you should know she's a wee bit... eccentric

 **[Kageyama]:** Okay.

 **[Kunimi]:** wow, could you have delivered a more dry response?

* * *

**[Kindaichi]:** WOW WHAT OKAY I'M COMING TOO

 **[Kageyama]:** Kindaichi, it's one in the morning.

 **[Kunimi]:** check ur phone more often dude

* * *

With her nurse escort, Shiroma hesitantly steps into the room, looking anywhere except the lone bed where her mother sleeps. She is paler than last time, and frailer, too. Shiroma can see as much from a single, reluctant glance.

It's a private hospital. They have the money for it. Her mother's name is Shiroma Yuki, and Shiroma is afraid. She's afraid that her mother knows—knows what her father has done. After all, the nurses bring her a newspaper every morning, and she only ever has to press a button to call them over to turn on the radio or television.

"Hey, mom," Shiroma greets quietly as the nurse closes the door behind her to give them some space.

Yuki doesn't talk. She lost the ability to speak last month.

Shiroma doesn't even know if her mother is awake yet, but she soon finds out when Yuki's eyes flutter open. With a trembling hand, she gestures her daughter forward, who hesitates once more before trotting over to her bedside. She leaves her bag on the floor. Slowly, her mother is losing control of her bodily functions. Eventually, her system will shut down entirely, and she will die. Shiroma has been told that she has two more weeks at best.

Shiroma opens up her palm, and Yuki's fingers dance across her flesh, scrawling out characters.

_There is a new patient._

Shiroma smiles. "Is there?"

She feels her mother's finger move. _Yes. His grandson can be very loud at times._

"Sounds annoying."

 _It's not so bad. The things he says are quite amusing._ Her finger stills before shifting again. _How are you?_

"I'm good. I'm going out with some friends this Saturday."

_Yoneda-chan and Kimiko-chan?_

Shiroma nods, lying. "Yes. I haven't had the chance to hang out with them for a while thanks to exams. I passed all of them, by the way. Seventies and eighties as always."

They talk idly for maybe half an hour more before Yuki scribbles a question on her palm that makes her stiffen. _How is your father doing?_

 _I hope he's fucking dead._ "Uh, I dunno. I haven't... spoken to him yet." _Does she know?_ Shiroma thinks wildly. _She mustn't!_

There is no tension on Yuki's face as she asks, _Does he love her?_

Shiroma's gut clenches tight. Her throat bobs as she rasps, "So you do know. Mom, I—I'm sorry. He doesn't deserve you, and—"

Yuki taps her hand in quick successions with one finger, and Shiroma can feel her frustration emanating. Slowly, she scrawls again, _Does he love her?_

"... I don't know."

_Is he happy?_

This one is easier to answer. Shiroma doesn't stall when she says, "No. I don't think he'll ever be happy again."

Her writing grows a little more frantic. _Good. Is she beautiful?_

"Very." Shiroma continues, voice rising. "But none of that matters. Because he said you were the most beautiful woman in the world." She squeezes her mother's hand once, watching the tension ease from her body. Her head sinks further into her pillow, and Shiroma stares at their entwined fingers. Her mother's breathing slows, telling Shiroma that she has fallen into a fitful rest. Sighing, she unwraps her hand from hers, stepping back—she almost trips on her bag. "I love you, mom."

Picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, she leaves the room. Just as she closes the door behind her gently, a familiar boy rounds the corner, heading toward her in hurried strides.

Their eyes meet, and Shiroma frowns. "Oikawa-san?"

"Ah!" He points at her, gawking. "It's you?!" Oikawa narrows his eyes at her, as if he can't quite believe that she's standing in front of him. Finally, he questions, "You're not stalking me, are you?"

"Don't flatter yourself. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"What do you _think_?"

"Is it too much to hope that you have some incurable disease? And I'm not talking about your personality."

"Wha— _hey_! Do you hate me or something? Don't talk about personalities when yours isn't much better than mine, _kid_!" He huffs, tilting his head a little as he looks down at her with raised brows. "Obviously, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm just visiting a relative."

Slowly, Shiroma looks him up and down. Then she deadpans. "Wow. Your fashion sense is so dweeby."

"Bwuh!" Glaring, his chest puffs out as he tries to make himself seem taller (she doesn't know why, considering he towers easily over her already, the dork). "Your hair is what's _dweeby_! You dress like some stuck-up princess with that stupid silver headband. Seriously, who even parts their hair in the middle anymore?"

"You wouldn't understand _elegance_ if it shoved its foot up your—"

"A- _hem_!" Oikawa and Shiroma turn to see a disapproving nurse staring icily at them. "Excuse me, you two, but I'm going to have to ask that you quiet down. This is a _hospital_."

Hastily, both bow to her apologetically. "Sorry," they mumble, side-eyeing each other irritably as they do so.

"So," Oikawa starts when the nurse leaves. "What was that last part? Didn't sound very elegant at all, if you ask me."

"Oh, shut up. No one's asking you."

"Tsk! You really are a rude, disrespectful brat, aren't you? I guess I can't expect much class from someone who hangs around with the likes of my annoying little kohai."

That makes Shiroma halt, her shoe squeaking against the hospital floor. Then she looks up at him, eyebrow cocked. Not angry, but bemused. "Do you have some kind of beef with him? You should have heard the way he spoke about you as a captain—it reminded me of the way my classmates," _my former friends,_ "used to talk about their favorite idol boys."

If Oikawa was smirking before, he isn't now. His face falls ever so slightly, like a pillar of ice has just impaled him. But he still manages to keep the snooty look, somehow, and says tersely, offhandedly, "What an idiot."

He sounds flippant, but Shiroma has been observing and riling people up for long enough to see the tell-tale signs of guilt clawing away at him. She smiles at him, her eyes curving up into half-moons. "I know, right? What kind of idiot would worship such a piece of shit? There's a reason why having a pretty face and a silver tongue aren't the only things an idol needs to survive. One scandal, and it's over for a lot of them. That's why so many companies try to keep it under wraps. But in the end, it'll come spilling out—all the ugly truths they've tried to conceal."

Oikawa should know. He should know enough that Shiroma isn't just talking about him—she's talking about her father, and she's talking about Kageyama. Both victims of so-called 'scandals'—her father's infidelity and Kageyama's stint as a dictator on the volleyball court—both ostracized by their peers because of it. And then there's Oikawa, who had gotten off almost completely unscathed, never reprimanded for his behavior during middle school and his reputation intact upon his entry to high school.

"Do they let you get away with it?" Shiroma asks, nonchalant. "Kunimi-san and Kindaichi-san. They're on your team, aren't they?"

He laughs mirthlessly. "That would be none of your business, _Shiroma-san_. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to see my grandfather. I've kept him waiting for long enough."

Shiroma stares after him for a little bit before calling after him, "My mom says you're really loud. Keep your voice down, Oikawa-san!"

"You first, you damn brat!" he can't resist snapping back, and the irate nurse from earlier appears as if summoned by a spell, hissing in an angry whisper.

"Both of you, please! This is a hospital!"

As she leaves, Shiroma snorts and smirks, and Oikawa rolls his eyes.

* * *

Kindaichi isn't sure if he's ready. Actually, Kindaichi can't think of a lot of times where he _has_ been ready, but that's beside the point. After so many years of high expectations, disappointments, and criticism, he thinks that he should have been more jaded by now, but he doesn't feel it. Maybe the unkind jabs toward his intelligence and the lectures from his mother don't sting so much anymore, but Kindaichi has little experience dealing with attacks on his character.

Not that anyone has been firing attacks at him. Not directly, anyway. But he still feels the effects—still feels the shrapnel embedded in his chest, making it clench uneasily every time middle school and Oikawa and Kageyama are brought up.

He knows Kunimi well enough to know that his usual cool demeanor has been off balance lately, too. It brings Kindaichi some sense of relief—that he isn't going through this alone.

"Why do I feel so shitty?" Kindaichi blurts when Kunimi's first (he knows he'll be ordering more later, he just knows it) caramel milkshake arrives. There's a special on drinks today at Cafe Pezzo that offers a free scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the drink. Kunimi can be frugal at times—combine that with his sweet tooth, and Kindaichi is not at all surprised that his friend ordered a dollop of the icy dessert to float in his milkshake.

"Because you realized what you did was wrong," Kunimi answers, mixing the ice cream into his beverage. Kindaichi tries not to gag. He's never been much for sweets—not the same way Kunimi is, anyway. His favorite food is grilled corn, and he enjoys eating mostly savory things. "I thought we already went through this, man."

"Yeah, but, like," Kindaichi makes a grabbing motion with his hands, trying to reach for the words that are failing him, "It was fine for a while, but then... Now this is happening."

Kunimi doesn't need to ask what 'this' is. Recently, old reminders have been popping up everywhere, and Kindaichi's guilt has returned.

 _Maybe it never left in the first place,_ muses Kunimi. _Maybe it just stayed hidden for a while, unnoticed._

"Oikawa came back," Kindaichi is still talking, "Well, he didn't come _back_ , more like _we_ came to _him_ , and Kageyama came to _us_ , and so Oikawa came to _him_..."

"You're accelerating my brain freeze," Kunimi groans, clutching his head, but Kindaichi doesn't seem to hear.

"And then Shiroma shows up out of fucking _nowhere_ in a Shiratorizawa uniform—which is basically a death sentence if you're caught wearing that at Seijoh—and she has all sorts of problems—"

"I wouldn't call it a _death sentence_ ," a new voice interrupts, and Kindaichi balks at the sight of Oikawa sauntering towards them. He's dressed smartly, smiling brilliantly; his cheeks lift his glasses slightly.

"O-Oikawa-san!"

"Captain," drones Kunimi. "Funny seeing you here." _Liar. We knew you were coming._

"Oh? You think so?" Oikawa glances around, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans. "Iwa-chan and I used to hang out here all the time as kids. Guess we're passing it on to the new generation, huh?"

"Sir, your drink is ready," the barista calls from the counter, and Kindaichi and Kunimi wonder how long he's been in here without them realizing.

"Oh~!" Oikawa takes the cup and shoots the coffee girl an award-winning smile. "Extra whipped cream? Thanks a lot!"

She blushes deeply. "Uhh, no problem! Anytime! Seriously, don't even sweat it."

"So," Oikawa says as he returns to their booth. "Is Tobio-chan not here?"

"Uh, yeah," Kindaichi affirms, stumbling over his words. He's never really hung out with Seijoh's captain without the team dynamic to back him up, not even in middle school. Thankfully, Kunimi is there with him. "Are you here with Iwaizumi-san?"

"Does it look like he's here?" At Kindaichi's flushing cheeks, Oikawa adds with a light laugh, "I'm just kidding, Kin-chan. No, he's at his older cousin's for the weekend. Kasamatsu-kun, I think? Anyway, I'll see you two around. Tell Tobio-chan I said hi~!"

Then he's off, and Kindaichi can't begin to imagine how he can act so friendly around them when they've been nothing short of petty and spiteful toward him. It just makes the guilt weigh down on him even heavier. Whether it's misplaced or not he doesn't know.

"Where is Kageyama anyway?" Kunimi huffs ten minutes later, pulling out his phone. He's already done with his milkshake. "It's not like him to be late, especially since he lives so close by." _Oikawa already left, too, and Shiroma never even showed up._

"It's not that close," says Kindaichi, mildly. "It's a fifteen minute walk, or a two minute drive."

"Still."

Suddenly, Kindaichi's phone starts ringing, and he jumps and curses, digging through his pockets. He dumps a handful of clean but wrinkled tissues on the tabletop before fishing his phone out and answering gruffly without even checking the number, "Hello?"

 _"Yuutarou!"_ Even Kunimi can't help but flinch at the furious voice of Kindaichi's mother. The boy in question visibly pales at the sound of her harsh tone, his throat bobbing. Kindaichi's mother isn't on speakerphone, but Kunimi can hear everything she's saying anyway, and so can the old man the next booth over, probably. _"Where are you right now?! Come home immediately—I've hired a private English tutor for you! I know it's a little short notice, but she'll be arriving in ten minutes. I've dug out your textbooks from your bag. Why do you only have three pages bookmarked? Tsk. No matter. Come home,_ now _."_

Then she hangs up before Kindaichi can even get a word in—before he can explain to her that the bus home doesn't even come around here until ten minutes from now, and that the bus ride to the stop nearest to his house is an additional ten minute drive. Kindaichi's shoulders slump, the boy staring blankly at the glossy tabletop for a good minute. For a moment, Kunimi thinks he's about to cry, but then he lifts his head with tired acceptance in his eyes. "Sorry," Kindaichi apologizes blandly. "But you heard her."

Oh, for god's sake, where the hell is Kageyama? Kunimi bites his straw in frustration, about to say something when, abruptly, Kindaichi's phone starts ringing again. "Don't answer it," Kunimi spits out viciously, but Kindaichi swipes right anyway, confusion on his face.

"It's Oikawa-san," Kindaichi informs him, and Kunimi blinks. He presses his phone to his ear. "Yes, hello, Oikawa-san, I... _What?!_ " Kunimi doesn't think Kindaichi's face can go any whiter, but he's proven wrong. Whatever Oikawa's saying, it definitely isn't good—Kunimi can see his hand shaking. "Oh, fuck. Fuck. Where are you right now?! The bridge?! Which bridge, Oikawa-san, which bridge?!" Oikawa rattles off a location. "Okay, okay. We'll be right there. Oh my god, holy shit, holy shit..."

Oikawa hangs up, the dull whine of the phone's tone filling the space between them.

"Kindaichi," Kunimi says solemnly, getting up and hurrying toward the exit. "Tell me on the way."

But before they can leave, Kindaichi's phone makes yet another noise—nobody's calling, though. He's received a text.

"For fuck's sake," he hears Kindaichi mutter under his breath. "It's mom again."

"Oh, _fuck her_!" Kunimi snaps, eye twitching. Normally, he would never say such a thing, especially about someone who is his senior, but Kindaichi's mother has breathed down their necks for too long now. "Kindaichi? _Kindaichi_!"

"Yeah." Kindaichi's response is quiet, but Kunimi, astounded, can hear the steel lacing his tone. "Fuck her. We have to run—Kageyama and Shiroma are in trouble."

* * *

Kageyama's morning starts out fine. More than fine, actually, and his face actually morphs from its default frown to something more positive. Because his mother is sitting at the breakfast table, and his meal is prepared. A carton of milk—unflavored, but that doesn't matter—sits next to his bowl of miso soup.

"Mother," Kageyama breaks the silence, "You're here."

Tiredly, she looks up from her newspaper and smiles at him. Her smile isn't like his—it is gentle and warm, but always exhausted. He knows she works hard to bring food to the table. His father left after his middle school graduation, and there wasn't much of a custody battle. He never fought for Kageyama, just shuffled him to his mother, like he always did. Miwa, his sister, had already moved to Tokyo by then, but the family his father left behind was the talk of the town in the months following.

"Oh, Tobio," she murmurs, "You're up so early, just like always. Sit down. Your food's getting cold."

Slowly, as if he cannot believe it, Kageyama sits. He holds the rice bowl in his left hand and his chopsticks in his right hand. It's surreal. He cannot remember the last time he ate a hot meal prepared by his mother.

"Are you going somewhere today?" his mother asks, and he feels a special kind of happiness filling his chest. "You're all dressed up."

He isn't, really. He's wearing his exercise gear, ready to jog to Cafe Pezzo, where he'll meet up with Kindaichi, Kunimi, and Shiroma. Hopefully, once they're done, he can make a few laps around the neighborhood. Kindaichi might be compelled to join him, though he is aware that he shouldn't even bother with Kunimi and Shiroma.

"I'm meeting some friends," he explains. "At Cafe Pezzo."

"Oh, that old place? It's been there since I was a teenager. Do you want me to drive you there?"

"No, that's alright."

"I'd love to," his mother—her name is Reina; it's a beautiful name—blurts, putting down her newspaper. "It's been a long time since we last properly talked, Tobio."

"I..." His body is already all energized for the run, but his mother looks at him so pleadingly that he has to relent. "Okay."

She smiles sheepishly. "Great. I'll go get changed quickly."

As she retreats to her room, Kageyama can't help but wonder why his father abandoned such a loving, hardworking woman.

A few minutes later, they're in the car and rolling along peacefully. His mother is a careful driver—she takes care to never go over the speed limit, and often glances at her mirrors.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around," she says quietly. "But I want you to know that I missed you a lot. I want to be a proper mother to you, Tobio, but..." Her exhale and the turn she takes next is equally sharp. "No. There's no excuse. I'm sorry, Tobio."

"It's okay." The words come out automatic and awkward. But Kageyama has been used to being alone for a long time, and he doesn't know how to break it to her that her absence has become far too normal for him to feel much sorrow.

The folds of Reina's eyes droop sadly. They've been like that ever since the start of the year. As if some sadness—some chronic melancholy—she cannot expel from her system is slowly poisoning her body.

They're crossing a bridge, Kageyama staring at the water below and zoning out when wheels screech and Kageyama lifts his gaze to see a flash of red pummel into the front of the car. Glass shatters, and his screams are cut off as his seat belt nearly asphyxiates him. He squeezes his eyes shut, feeling something sharp slice a line just above his right eye.

Everything happens in a split second—then it's over.

"Mother!" Kageyama shouts, frantically unbuckling his seat belt. There's a mark on his neck from it. "Mother!"

"I'm okay!" Reina wheezes. The left side of the car is completely crushed, but the right side—the driver's side, and the side that Kageyama is sitting on in the backseat—is miraculously intact. Mostly.

Kageyama wrestles the door open, swearing darkly. His head is spinning and blood drips between his eyes and forms droplets on the end of his nose, but he doesn't care. "Mother! Can you open the door?"

"It's stuck!"

"Shit!" Kageyama hisses, feeling for his pockets. _Where the hell is my phone!_ He finally digs it out. It's slightly cracked, but still usable. "I'm calling emergency services!" As he punches in the number, he notices movement from the corner of his eye. The other car—the red car—looks worse off, but the passengers manage to stumble out. They're a mess, but Kageyama has no trouble recognizing that silver hair. "Shiroma?!"

Shiroma gives him one dull look before turning away to the other passenger—a tall, slender woman with fiery red hair. Her roots, which are black, are starting to show. Give it a few months, and she'll be a long-haired Kenma. She looks incredibly shaken, her ample chest heaving as she gulps for air. "Oh my god," she's muttering, running her hands through her mussed locks. "Oh my god, Yubin, what the hell were you thinking?!" She shrieks something else at Shiroma that Kageyama determines to be Korean based on what he knows about Shiroma's heritage.

"OI!" Kageyama doesn't have time for this bullshit. "Get over here and help me!" Emergency services picks up. "Hello?! Yeah, we're at..." He rattles off their current location to the best of his ability as he tries to use his free to hand to yank open the dented car door. When that's over, he tosses his phone on the road and shouts at Shiroma and the ginger woman.

At first, Shiroma just stands there and stares at him like a deer in headlights. She snaps out of it when the ginger woman grabs her shoulders and begins to shake her, yelling. "Yubin! Yubin! You piece of shit!"

"Shut up, Yangmi!" Shiroma shoves her out of the way, heading straight for where Kageyama is exerting all of his strength on removing the driver's door. Inside, his mother is bleeding from a head wound, and her lean, bird-like body is squashed between her seat and the steering wheel.

 _No, no..._ Kageyama doesn't hear anything even as the ginger woman—Yangmi—continues to yell, the heels of her shoes clicking against the pavement as she marches up to them. All he knows right now is that he _has_ to save Reina—he _has_ to save his mother. But the door won't budge, even when his nails—he keeps them blunt—dig painfully into his palms, drawing blood. His strength is focused solely on wrenching the door from the mangled car, so that his mother will be safe once more.

"What the hell?!" he barely registers someone shout. Then someone is behind him, and helping him pull the door.

Kageyama turns his head. "O-Oikawa-san?!"

"Shut and pull!" Oikawa snaps. Slowly, the door starts giving way to the efforts of the three of them—him, Shiroma, and Oikawa.

"Mother!" Kageyama helps her out gingerly. "Are you okay?!"

"I," she coughs, rubbing her neck, "I'll be fine, Tobio. Just—let me sit down, please."

Oikawa and Kageyama are helping Reina to the side, away from the wreckage, when Shiroma suddenly shrieks. Kageyama turns once more, eyes wide with horror as he sees Yangmi pulling on Shiroma's hair, her face contorted in an ugly snarl.

"You bitch!" Yangmi is screaming.

"Me?!" Shiroma screams back, ripping her hair out of her grasp. She pushes Yangmi toward the edge of the bridge. Below, the river is roaring, swelled up by last night's downpour. "What about you?! What about _you_ , _you_ _home-wrecking whore_?! You don't think I know what you did?! You seduced and _fucked_ my father while my mother lays _dying_! And then you made sure everyone knew, you _fucking bitch_! You fucking _stalked_ me all the way from _Korea_ to get in my good fucking graces! Yeah _right_! _I hope you rot in hell_!"

Before Yangmi can react, Shiroma slaps her across the face and shoves her one more time. One of her heels breaks, and, abruptly, she falls backwards, her mouth shaped in a surprised 'o'. Then her hand snaps outward, curling around Shiroma's long, silver hair.

"SHIROMA!" Kageyama runs toward them, but it's too late. They topple over with little fanfare, landing in the water with a gigantic splash. Kageyama just stands there in shock before thinking to run to the other side of the bridge, where the river is flowing towards. Yangmi's red head bobs up occasionally; her mouth opens every time she surfaces. She clings to a branch in the river, and starts screaming for help.

Shiroma is nowhere to be seen.

"There she is!" Oikawa spots her after some heart-stopping seconds. She's barely able to stay afloat.

She can't swim, they both realize at the same time.

But then, to her credit, Yangmi reaches out an arm to her, panic clear on her face. Shiroma manages to grab it, and then both of them are clinging onto the branch for dear life.

"Mother," Kageyama says urgently, kneeling down to meet her gaze. "Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," Reina wheezes. "Go, you two—help them!"

Oikawa and Kageyama exchange a glance, then nod. Whatever differences they have, it's time to put them aside for now. They race down the bridge, circling around so that they're on the high edge of the river.

"Shit," Kageyama curses, "It's too high. Oikawa-san, what do we—?"

"Hold my hand," Oikawa interrupts, maneuvering their positions so that he's further inland. Realization dawns on Kageyama's face, along with an instinctive wariness. "I won't let go," Oikawa promises through gritted teeth, realizing this. "Tobio, we don't have time!"

He's always been more of an action kind of guy than a wordy one. Putting all of his trust into his former upperclassman, Kageyama hops over the railing, the only thing preventing him from skidding down into the churning water Oikawa's strength. He grunts and strains his body, but his arms aren't long enough—they need, at the very least, two more people.

"Oikawa-san, I can't reach!" Kageyama calls up desperately.

"Hold on, I'll pull you up." Oikawa does, and Kageyama's hard is thrumming as he regains his bearings, his knuckles turning white from how hard is he gripping the metal railing. Oikawa is on his phone. "Hello, Kindaichi?!"

 _Kindaichi?_ Awed, Kageyama can only look on as Oikawa rattles off their location and the situation as calmly as he can. His hands are shaking, Kageyama notices, but he's staying strong. Admiration—once dominated by fear—for him swells up in Kageyama's chest one more. This is him. This is the _senpai_ that he had once looked up to so much.

Oikawa puts his phone away. "They're coming," he reports. "Kin-chan and Kunimicchi." Then, to the girls barely able to stay afloat below, he shouts, "Hold on a little longer! Help is on the way!"

In the far-off distance, Kageyama can hear sirens, too, but they'll never get here in time. He can already see the thick branch they're clinging to starting to wriggle out of position, held down by only mud and trash.

It feels like forever, but Kageyama hears footsteps, then yelling.

"OI!" Kindaichi is hollering as he and Kunimi race toward them. "WE'RE HERE!" They screech to a halt in front of them. "What the?! Kageyama? I thought you were in trouble!"

"No time," Oikawa answers for him. "Kunimi, hold my hand and please trust me. I know things haven't been good between us lately, but you have to trust me!"

Kunimi looks at him once, then at Shiroma and Yangmi. He nods. "Alright. Kindaichi, grab my hand."

They form a human chain. Oikawa is at the very top, their anchor behind the rails. Then comes Kunimi. Kindaichi almost falls in when it's his turn to go down, but Kunimi catches him by the wrist just in time. Hastily, Kindaichi corrects himself, almost slipping on the sloped walls.

Finally, it's Kageyama's turn. Carefully, he scoots downward. Having planned a jog today, he's wearing shoes with good friction, and they don't fail him. His hand entwines with Kindaichi's, and they all stretch toward the river.

Kageyama's legs land in the water, and he feels a chill run up his spine. It might be the middle of summer, but the water is _freezing_.

With great effort, Yangmi and Shiroma shimmy around the other side of the branch, where Kageyama's free hand is waiting for them. Yangmi looks between him and Shiroma, hesitating. Then, growling, she pushes the younger girl toward him. "Take her!" she spits, almost swallowing a mouthful of water. "Take her and hurry up!"

Shiroma seems to be barely conscious at this point, but she manages to slide his hand into his. Light even while soaking wet, she almost slips away from his grasp, but he holds on. With all his strength, Kageyama hauls her up, ignoring how his arm is cramping up.

"Oikawa, bring us up!" he hears Kunimi say.

Slowly, but surely, they start moving upward. Oikawa isn't the one doing all of the pulling—all of them push on and up with their legs. Kindaichi's legs wobble occasionally due to the poor grip of his shoes, but Shiroma makes it out without further trouble. She coughs a bit before slumping down against the railing, exhausted.

"Help!" Yangmi cries as the branch loosens further.

Remembering what happened before, Oikawa and Kageyama hesitate ever so slightly.

But then Shiroma breaks them out of it.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Shiroma sniffs without looking up, and Kageyama thinks she's crying. "Go help her. She needs you."

So they do.

Bringing up Yangmi looks to be even more of a struggle. She is both taller and heavier than Shiroma, and the water is undoubtedly weighing her down immensely. Spluttering, she treads the water toward Kageyama, one pale arm reaching outward to grab Kageyama's outstretched hand. There's a sudden tide, and everybody up to Kunimi is splashed.

"Shit," Kindaichi mutters, his teeth chattering from the cold. "I can't hold on much longer. Kageyama!"

Kageyama's arm muscles burn one more time as he heaves Yangmi upward with the remainder of his strength. The woman crawls onto the sloped wall barefooted and gripping Kageyama tightly with her other arm. "Oh my god," she's sobbing. "Oh my god."

They're not moving up. Kageyama glances heavenward. _What's taking so long?!_ Then he sees Oikawa's expression—tired and frustrated. The part of his forehead that Kageyama can see is gleaming with sweat. _Of course_ , he realizes. _He's been supporting us all for so long..._ How long has it been since they first started doing this? Just fishing Shiroma out had taken ten minutes, and Kageyama knows that they have spent even longer just getting Yangmi out of the current.

The sirens sound closer now.

The ambulance and police are here.

"OI!" Oikawa shouts with all his might toward the bridge. "OI! OVER HERE! HELP US!"

What happens next is a blur to him. With the help of more people, they're reeled upward with ease. His head is pounding by the end of it all, and he's sure that the others are feeling the same way. One of the spare ambulances on the bridge drives around the wrecked cars to reach them.

Kindaichi awkwardly rubs Yangmi's back, trying to get her to cough up as much water as possible.

He was right before, too—Shiroma _is_ crying. Hard. One of the paramedics—a freckle-faced woman—is consoling her, whispering gentle words.

"I'm so sick and tired," Shiroma sobs, tears running down her face and pooling at her chin. She's crying freely, as if she's had a burden on her back for far too long. "I wanna go home. I'm so sick of this. _Mom... Mom...!_ "

Yangmi doesn't look at her.

Today, Kageyama sees a very ugly side of humanity.

_But—_

Soaked to the bone, his knees hit the concrete. He looks around, breathing heavily. Kindaichi and Kunimi are equally out of breath and and equally wet, splayed on the sidewalk like starfish. Oikawa looks a bit better, but the way he slouches shows to Kageyama just how exhausted he is. Around him, the paramedics are tending to Yangmi and Shiroma, wrapping them in blankets and escorting them to the ambulance. A bit further away, on the bridge, Reina is being tended to as well, a medic cutting her pants open to reveal a bloody wound on her shin that needs immediate attention. It looks horrible, even from a distance, but it'll be fine with care. Then Kageyama feels something heavy and fluffy drop over his head, and tilts his head upward to see a man with kind eyes. His mouth moves, but Kageyama doesn't really hear what he says. Something about being brave. He doesn't really care. He just hugs his towel.

"Hey," Kindaichi says hoarsely, draping his own towel over his shoulders. He grins tiredly. "Good job, guys."

"Good job," Kunimi musters with even less zeal, placing his towel over his eyes.

Kageyama doesn't smile back, but he _feels_ it. "Good job," he echoes.

Then three pairs of eyes shift to Oikawa's small, huddled form. He lifts his head to meet their expectant gaze. "Yeah," Oikawa says eventually, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Good job. _All_ of you."

_—he also sees a very beautiful one, too._

* * *

Things get back to normal after that. Almost. Kindaichi, Kunimi, and Kageyama are closer than ever. They spend every moment outside of practice and school they can together. A few times, Kindaichi actually skips cram school for them. His mother yells at him for it, but Kindaichi doesn't seem to care so much about her knife-like words anymore.

Oikawa apologizes to Kageyama in the days following. It's short and simple, because that is the nature of apologies when they are free from excuses. For the first time, Kageyama hears genuine remorse coming from him. It sounds strange to him—sounds so incredibly foreign that Kageyama thinks he's dreaming at first. But then Oikawa adds that Aobajosai is going to crush Karasuno in the upcoming qualifiers, and—like shattered glass—it hits him then that this is real.

He'd never imagined his life would be like this.

It's _good_. _Peaceful_ , even.

And Shiroma...

Kageyama finds her in the funeral hall one day.

She's standing in front of her mother's picture, her face schooled into neutrality.

Kageyama stops next to her.

"Who are you here for?" she asks suddenly.

"My grandfather. He died last year."

"Oh."

Silence stretches between them, but it's one of understanding.

"You'll be okay," he says after she finishes lighting incense.

She turns to him with tired eyes. "How?"

Kageyama thinks of Karasuno, his team. He thinks of his closest friends, Kunimi and Kindaichi. He even thinks of Oikawa, too, who says hello to him whenever nobody's around. "You have us," he tells her.

"No, I don't."

There is truth in her words, but Kageyama won't let her leave again. Because he knows what it's like to be alone and abandoned and afraid. He turns to face her. "But you _can_."

Shiroma considers this.

Then, perhaps a little shyly, she smiles. Like Oikawa's remorse, he isn't used to seeing that on her. He's too used to seeing her mouth in a smirk, or a scowl, or a jeer.

"I'd like that."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: OFC I had to put in an Uncle Iroh quote in there lmao. This took AGES but I finally got it done. Yay! :D


End file.
